Success Stories

"What do you wish people knew about you?" I asked Oriel McCarthy upon meeting him. "My talent. My ingenuity. My perseverance... That's more than one." He said without missing a beat. I realize now, after getting to know Oriel McCarthy during our interview, that his talent, his ingenuity, and his perseverance (perhaps most of all) are the qualities that define him. Because of Mr. McCarthy's talent, ingenuity, and perseverance, he was able to overcome every obstacle in his path. "I started from the bottom and now I'm half-way there," he told me. "I couldn't have done it without Gateway." Oriel McCarthy was born in Jamaica in 1963, but moved to the United States via New York City with his family when he was 12 years old. He attended school in Brooklyn, where he spent his most formative years, but left New York in 2006 for Atlanta. "Things were good for me when I first started," he explained, "but I caught a charge in Atlanta in 2009 and was then incarcerated. When I got out 5 years later in March of 2014, I wound up being homeless." Oriel, like so many young men and women, found himself lost, alone and without resources after being released from prison. He began living on the streets for several months, sleeping frequently in an abandoned house in East Point. Oriel also has a mental health diagnosis, which increased the strain put upon him during this time. Luckily, Mr. McCarthy had a counselor who, after learning his story, referred him to the Gateway Center. GWC, unfortunately, has only a finite number of program beds available each weekday morning and space is highly coveted. Each day a line begins outside our doors around 4am and continues until 7am when program intake officially begins. Oriel, being the tenacious soul he is, waited in line for 4 days in a row at 5am each day before finally making it into a program spot on the 5th day. "Thank God Amanda and Kayla [Assessment Case Managers] made the decision to give me a chance," he said. Since coming to Gateway, Oriel McCarthy's life has turned a corner. He describes his experience at the Gateway Center as a positive learning experience. In his words:

"People cared about me here. Amanda [Case Manager] has been real good with me. She's worked with me. At first all I had was my green card and birth certificate. Since I arrived here I've got my state ID and I got a job. Everyone's been so positive with me. I have a lot of appreciation for Gateway because if it wasn't for this place, I wouldn't be on my feet--or even half-way there."

Mr. McCarthy was hired by a Jamaican restaurant on MLK and has already gotten a raise. He's a hard working man--always going above and beyond what is asked of him, even during his time at the Gateway Center.

"I was doing a lot of chores and caring hours because I wanted to give back. I used to put in--what was required? 4 hours?--I was giving 12 hours a week. I appreciated that there was food on my table, a roof over my head, and clothes on my back. In society you have to work for these things, so I felt the least I could do was show my appreciation and give back. I did what I had to do and the light opened up at the end of the tunnel."

Today, with the help of his Case Manager, Amanda Van Dalen, Oriel McCarthy is in affordable housing at the Welcome House, but he has his sights set even higher . . .

"I have a bank account now and my goal is to save enough to get my own apartment. I would like someday to be able to volunteer my time and come back to help the rest of the people here. I want to get a car and travel to see my family in NYC because I miss them a lot. Someday I might start my own business. I feel good about my positive direction and intentions. I started from the bottom and now I'm half-way there."

We couldn't be more proud of you, Mr.McCarthy! Your Gateway family is rooting for you every step of the way!

By: Sophie Beal Michael came to Gateway Center only 4 months ago after struggling with chronic homelessness and mental illness all his life. But at 43 years old, Michael came to Gateway Center and discovered a loving and supportive environment that changed everything. With the support of his case manager and close friends at Gateway, Michael has been in therapy, taking medication, and on a path to recovery. But that's not all... Throughout his therapy, Michael began to write about his experiences with homelessness and Bipolar Dissociative Disorder--and in so doing discovered an incredible gift. In this video Michael shares a poem with us written about his experience with mental illness. A deeply religious man, Michael came to understand his struggles with Dissociative Disorder as a struggle between God and the Devil. His emotional poem, "Blind Right Now" agitates us to a deeper understanding of mental illness, homelessness, and ourselves. Thank you Michael for sharing! We are so grateful. Michael really wanted to include his best friend, Will Oliver in his interview. He and Will (pictured below) have a special bond and have helped push one another to be their best selves while at Gateway. It goes to show that Gateway is a community. We change lives and end homelessness every day, but we can't do it alone. Join our community! Follow Gateway on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and/or sign up for our monthly Newsletter. Learn all the ways that YOU can help change lives and end homelessness in your community!